The Israeli Defense Ministry announced on social media platform X that Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, has been freed from Hamas captivity. Currently in stable condition, Alkadi is receiving medical evaluation at a hospital. The IDF stated their commitment to using all available resources to secure the release of other hostages.
According to the Associated Press, Alkadi was employed as a guard at a packing facility in Kibbutz Magen, which was attacked on October 7. He is known to have two wives and eleven children. Israeli Channel 12 captured footage of his family rushing to the hospital upon hearing the news of his rescue.
Family of Freed Hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi Rushed to Hospital as He Receives Treatment
This development occurs in the midst of the ongoing international efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, aimed at freeing the remaining hostages. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent Middle East visit, intended to advance these negotiations, concluded without an agreement.
The initial assault, which ignited the current conflict, resulted in around 1,200 deaths, with Hamas militants seizing roughly 250 individuals. The Associated Press reports that about 110 hostages remain in Hamas’s control, with one-third of them presumed deceased.
To date, Israel has successfully rescued eight hostages. Additionally, over 100 hostages were released last year during a temporary ceasefire and hostage release arrangement.
